Television continues to remain the main source of the media for at least half of the Armenians. Therefore, their perceptions about Ukraine our fellow citizens obtain based on the propaganda of Russian TV channel rebroadcast in Armenia. Accordingly, in addition to the atrocities of Nazi gangs and heroic deeds of self-defense detachments, nothing more is going on in that country.
However, placing this main message in people’s mind, it is necessary to discredit the “liberalism” and “democracy” concepts, as a trick of two-faced and hypocritical West, through which the world “dark forces” are trying to tear the “little brothers” “rightfully” belonging to them from Russia.
The fact that the share of hypocrisy is also big in the West, there is no doubt about it. But, the fact that, in addition, there are also real democracy and liberalism, primarily as a mentality, it is also beyond any doubts. It is not necessarily for this mentality to be connected to any geopolitical center, it is a tool with which reach your goal at home, at work, and in the state.
In our regions, these hated phenomena for current Russian official propaganda emerged in the 50’s of the last century, and the very Russian intelligentsia were the first carriers of them. Another 100 years ago before that, in 1850’s, representatives of the same class were claiming that the slave labor is inefficient, that loving motherland is one thing, whereas repression of your own people and other nations with weapons is another thing. Therefore, the sources of notion about current democracy and liberalism in Armenia are largely not in the West, but in the very Russia.
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It was always opposed by “patriotism.” Yes, in quotes, because true patriotism can not contradict freedom. And as for the “patriotic journalism”, unique samples of which are displayed by commentators of Russian channels (who are fighting against “liberalists”), this phrase, in my opinion, is totally absurd. Journalism can not be patriotic or cosmopolitan, pro-government or opposition, pro-Russian or pro-European. Just as mathematics, cooking or, let’s say, the construction. The materials issued by newspapers, websites, and broadcasts could be a journalism as an art of finding and disseminating exciting stories, and not a journalism as a tool to propagate something.
And doing your own job on a level is the best patriotism.
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
